SHO among six cops booked for BJP leader’s murder in Rewa

A day after the death of a ruling BJP leader Atiq Ahmad alias Rocky allegedly following police torture in Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa district, a case of murder was lodged against the Rewa Kotwali in-charge and five other policemen on Sunday.

Police vehicles were set ablaze by the mob in Rewa district late on Saturday night.

A day after the death of a ruling BJP leader Atiq Ahmad alias Rocky allegedly following police torture in Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa district, a case of murder was lodged against the Rewa Kotwali in-charge and five other policemen on Sunday.

The six cops, including the Kotwali in-charge Shailendra Bhargava have been booked for murder and crime with a common intent under Sections 302 and 34 of IPC on the complaint of the deceased Atiq Ahmad alias Rocky’s family, Rewa police superintendent Sanjay Kumar told HT over phone.

The Rewa Kotwali in-charge has also been suspended with immediate effect and a magisterial probe instituted into the entire matter of alleged custodial death of the 30-year-old BJP leader, who himself had a criminal past, the Rewa SP added.

Prohibitory orders clamped

“Also prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPc have been clamped in four police station areas of the district, including Rewa Kotwali, Civil Lines and, Bicchiya,” Rewa district collector Rahul Jain told HT on Sunday.

The former municipal corporator’s death had triggered massive violence across the old parts of Rewa town on Saturday-Sunday intervening night, as his supporters indulged in arson and violence, particularly targeting the police force.

Fresh violence reported on Sunday

Fresh violence was reported in the town on Sunday, when supporters of the deceased BJP leader blocked the road near Choti Dargah (500 meters from the Sanjay Gandhi Government Hospital) by keeping his body for two hours. The ruling party leader’s supporters had refused to perform the funeral if murder case was not lodged against the Rewa Kotwali in-charge.

Angry BJP supporters also pelted stones, forcing the police to resort to cane charge. “We had no other option but to use mild force to prevent violence,” the Rewa SP maintained.

Rocky had gone to get a house vacated in Gurhai Bazar locality on Saturday evening, when the women living in the house and her kin clashed with the BJP leaders and his supporters.

Rewa Kotwali police rushed to the spot and cane charged the clashing groups, before bringing Rocky and his supporters to the Kotwali, where the BJP leader was allegedly beaten in custody.

He was subsequently booked for criminal trespass and voluntarily causing hurt under Sections 394, 452 and 447 of IPC on the complaint of the concerned woman who alleged that Rocky and his men wanted to capture the house.

BJP leader died due to heart attack: SP

According to Rewa SP Sanjay Kumar, the BJP leader who was a heart patient complained chest pain while in police custody, after which he was rushed to the Sanjay Gandhi Government Hospital, where he died due to heart attack at around 10.30 pm on Saturday.

The deceased BJP leader’s wife Sofia Begum, a sitting BJP councilor from Ward No.43 and also a mayor-in-council member of Rewa Municipal Corporation (RMC), however, alleged on Sunday, that sustained police beating on Saturday evening caused her husband’s death. Sofia and her supporters also came out with a video showing Rocky’s police beating, which has gone viral on social media.

Angered over Rocky’s death, massive violence was reported in the old parts of Rewa town, which borders UP. Major violence was reported from Bicchiya, Goghar and Pachmata localities, as the unruly mob attacked the police personnel and set afire at least five police vehicles. Vehicles outside the hospital where Rocky died were also damaged in the violence which continued for over two hours after midnight.

“The situation is now under control after the deceased leader’s funeral and heavy police force has been deployed all across the town to prevent further violence,” the Rewa SP claimed.

Also, the Madhya Pradesh minister Rajendra Shukla (a local MLA from Rewa) along with other party leaders, including Rewa MP Janardan Mishra and mayor Mamta Gupta met the bereaved family on Sunday. Confirming that he too had been shown the video of Rocky’s police torture, the minister assured that those found guilty will not be spared.